The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-16
A WASTED EDUCATION.
Choldme, Cal.


Jack and I had been married about
long enough to begin to argue. We
never quarrelea-we we're two patrician
for that, though he was only prominent
architect and 1 an ex .schoolma'am but
how we did argue! 1t all began through
our different bringing up" in the first
place. You see, we were not really well
acquainted when we married. 1t all grew
out of that dreadful food, did our roman
tic and sudden marriage; and had act
ually seen my good Jack only twice be-
fore / promised all sorts of sentimental
things. And the glamor lasted. His face
was still the handsomest, his voice the
sweetest, his nature the most chivalrous
in the world, until we began to argue. It
was q thoroughly good natured argu-
ment at first. How was it that We forgot
at the time TO send laugh along with a
dexterous little dig into the weak point
in the argument of the opposition, to
soften its edge? don't know, I'm sure;
but 1 grew to despise arguments between
Jack and me, and I meant, when good
chance offered, to put the whole ugly
spirit of discord to fight.
It came-the chance. Jack came home
from the Office to supper with paper in
bis hand, which, faucied, had given him
something to ponder over. l rang the
little tea-beu out Of the low window, as
used to ring the big bell out OF the dear
little schoolhouse window in years gone
by; and III toddled our wee daughter
Fatima, with glad, hungry light in her
baby eyes.
Baby in the high chair; mamma be-
hind The tea things; papa brandising the
knife and steel; end then it came.
"Desdie, l think women now. a-days
try to do too much; that they strive for
too wide a sphere of action. Don't you?"
Women in general, or particular,
Jack?" I asked, dropping the three
Jumps of sugar he affects into his steam
ing cup.
"Well, in general. I believe, in this
case-though we could, l suppose, make
particular instance of it. For instance,
you
"I!"
"You received an education that, in
the contracted sphere of a woman's
life -
Ha! There it was there was my
weapon OF annihilation! listened as he
went on.
"That, in the contracted sphere OF a
woman's life, will, in measure, only be
thrown away. What good can come of it
all? You who sit here at home, making
paradise for me, need know nothing Of
simple interest =
"But do know of it, my liege lord!
can compute to penny on the small sum
accruing from my professorship of the
River School since you kindly invested
it for me in the building association"
"WelI, let that paes; perhaps it is just
as we'll to know little of simple arith-
metic; but as for algebra -
sac my friend Helen says, it is my
knowledge of algebra and the unknown
quantities that has made baker of
mel" 1 interrupted.
GA baker 2"
soul, monsieur. Now do you listen
awhile to me. give Fatima that ripest
peach, Jack, please)
81 insist upon il that no woman who
lives the life of a housemother' can have
too fine and too widely spread an eduea-
ton. In the first place, she is mother ;;
she has million questions to answer be-
fore her little brood can spread their
wings, questions upon all sorts of sub
iects-on science, on art, music, litera-
ture, chemistry, astronomy, history, Ian
guages-on every kind Of subject. But
that is not all: she must put these sci
ences into daily use.'
as Daily use, Desdie?' very ironically
this. "For iustanoe?"
"Jaek, il you put lot Of atearine aud
potash into a kettle Of boiling water, what
will be the reeult?"
"How should kuow?"
81 have 20. II results in soap. That's
chemistry"
"If you know all"-
"If it iz u o'clock at this place, what
is the time twenty degrees east Of us?"
al
Why, an hour and twenty minutes
past twelve; I can set the clock by local
or standard time with my eyes shut
That's astronomy"
"Well, Desdie"-
"Why is our little Fatima so sturdy
the darling! Because l know how to
give her a sun-bath as we'll as a water
bath, and play catcher with her every
day in the yard until her lungs are filed
with pure oxygen-blood-making mate